Holocaust refugees in the colonial world: an introduction

In this article, Casteel and Mikel-Arieli introduce their special issue and outline its contribution to the literature on global refugee transit. By expanding the scholarly focus of discussions of global transit beyond well-documented western destinations, the special issue reveals entanglements between occupied Europe and the colonial world that significantly shaped the trajectories of Jewish refugees. Their experiences, often documented through personal writings and fiction, expose a complex interplay between European refugee history and colonial societies. The articles in this special issue unravel how Jewish refugees, initially victimized by European racial persecution, found themselves navigating colonial spaces structured by different forms of racial violence. They explore the refugees’ entanglement with colonial power dynamics, complicating conventional victim/perpetrator narratives. By weaving together historiography, literature and personal narratives, these articles emphasize the need for continued interdisciplinary investigation of the intricate histories of Holocaust refugees in colonial settings.